A great tux or suit can make your guy feel comfortable and confident on your wedding day! While buying a designer tuxedo can cost thousands, renting a tuxedo is a great option to get that personalized look without breaking the bank.
Are you thinking, “Why is a dress shop talking about tuxedos?” We’ve rented tuxedos to thousands of wedding parties, and we know what it takes to get that picture perfect look. Here are the 5 simple steps to get your guys looking fabulous...
Choose your tuxedo style
Choose your accessories
Get everyone fitted and measured
Final fittings the week of the wedding
Pick up & return your tux
Selecting the perfect tuxes or suits is pretty easy - the hardest part will be wrangling up your wedding party. We’ll walk through each step below so that your wedding party is looking sharp when you say “I do.”
Step 1: Choosing your Tuxedo Style
When you’re figuring out the style and vibe you want your guys to have, it’s important to remember the large amount of customization options available. Pulling inspiration from your wedding theme is the easiest way to help narrow down your tux options. Much like choosing a bridesmaid dress, the color scheme and appearance of the tux can be influenced by your wedding location, time of year, decorations, and more. Tuxedos may look like a simple combination of pants, shirt, vest and coat, but they come with plenty of customization options that will add to your celebration’s look & feel. Below are just a few of the customization options available for your guy’s tux or suit:
Should I Rent a Tuxedo or Suit?
When choosing between a tuxedo or suit, there isn’t a wrong answer. Your wedding party will look fabulous in either! However, there are a few differences to keep in mind when deciding between a tuxedo and a suit. Tuxes can be described as a more formal version of a suit, with satin additions on the lapels, buttons, pocket trim, and trousers. Suits do not typically have these satin features. Sometimes the terms “suit” and “tux” are used interchangeably, but don’t get hung up on the same. While we recommend a tux for more formal events, a suit with the right accessories can be very formal as well!
What “Fit” Should I Choose for my Tuxedo?
Your tuxedo “fit” selection will determine how form-fitting the silhouette of the tux is, and some guys prefer a more slim look to others. Tuxedos normally come in a variety of fits, like traditional, slim, and ultra slim.
Traditional Fit - This is the classic tuxedo look with a tailored fit that doesn’t hug the body too tightly.
Slim Fit - This style is more tailored than a “traditional fit” tux but is still a little loose through the legs and body.
Ultra Slim - For the guys that appreciate a tighter pant and a slim jacket, this fit is for them! Don’t worry, it won’t look like “skinny jeans,” but will rather have a very tailored appearance.
All fits are available in a full range of sizes, but not every tux is available in each fit.
How do I Customize my Tuxedo Coat?
The main features to customize on a coat are lapels & vents. (If you’re planning a high society event or looking for more elegance, perhaps explore a tailcoat as well.)
Customize the Lapel
The lapel is the folded part on the front of the tux jacket, and there are several different types of lapels available. You can choose: notched, shawl, or peak lapels, wide or narrow, and even different accent materials such as velvet or satin. The most popular lapels are notched lapels, though shawl lapels are great for a more high-fashion look.
2 Vent or Not 2 Vent?
Vents help a jacket lay on the body naturally. No vent means the coat does not have a slit along the bottom of the back and gives a coat a more boxy look. A double vented coat has two slits on each side of the jacket’s back hem. The double vent can also give a coat a more boxy look, as the 2 vents prevent the coat from splitting. A single vent has a slit going down the middle of the back of the coat and may open from time to time, more often than a double vent, thus exposing what is beneath and breaking the straight line of the bottom of the coat. Which to choose is completely personal preference and up to your style.
Which Tuxedo Color Should I Choose?
You can never go wrong with a black tuxedo. It’s a classic, traditional look that fits all formal situations. If traditional is not your speed, or you’d like a more modern look, consider a suit in a color such as light grey, navy blue, and tan. Tuxedos and suits are even available in white, burgundy, and royal blue, which can make for a very distinctive look. When thinking about tux color, be sure to consider your wedding location and formality - the lighter colors are great for more casual, outdoor summer events, while more formal winter weddings call for darker suit colors. Once you’ve selected the suit colors, use your accessories like the pocket square, vest, and tie to bring in pops of your wedding colors. Incorporating your wedding colors into the smaller details can make your groom and his groomsmen look more cohesive.
Step 2: Choosing your Accessories
Vest, Cummerbund, or Neither?
Your guy may not want to add a vest or cummerbund to their ensemble, and that’s okay! Neither of these pieces are required, but they do bring different looks to the tuxedo. While vests are more common, a cummerbund is another way to cover your guy’s waist. A vest is versatile and can be worn with a tuxedo or suit, and it looks great with longer ties. A cummerbund pairs nicely with a bow tie and is known for being a more traditional and formal accessory. Vests can be selected in either your wedding colors to add a fun color accent, or can be chosen in a color to match your suit coat for a more tailored “three piece suit” look.
Bowties Vs. Windsor Ties
A tie should be worn with any formal suit or tux. Whether you choose a long windsor tie or a bowtie is up to your personal style preference. Bow ties tend to be a little more formal and traditional, while windsor ties are a little more casual, but either tie type will work with both suits and tuxedos. Most brides and grooms coordinate their tie colors with their wedding colors, but for a very formal “black tie event” a classic black bowtie is ideal. For informal outdoor events, some wedding parties opt to ditch the jacket and just go with formal pants, shirt, tie, and accessories.
What about the Shirt?
Whether you’ve selected a more formal looking tuxedo or a classic suit, the most common shirt choice for weddings is a simple, well-tailored suit shirt. These shirts are typically a soft microfiber fabric, perfect for helping to keep your guys cooler during warm summer months. Just like coats, shirts are available in either a traditional, looser fit, or more of a slim-fit option. One way to insert your personal flair is with the color of your shirt. White shirts are the most popular choice, but shirts are also available in ivory and black and even soft pastels such as pink or light blue. Even if your wedding dress is ivory or another non-white color, we usually recommend going with a white shirt for a clean, crisp look. We promise it won’t clash!
Pants: Suspenders or Belt?
Much like the fit of the coat tux, tux pants come in different styles based on how slim your guys want them to be. Many men will coordinate the fit of their jacket with their pants, such as a slim fit for both. The pants will also indicate whether suspenders or a belt are needed. Most rental tux pants have an adjustable waist for a more customized fit, so suspenders or a belt aren’t necessary and are more of a fashion accessory. For a formal tux, suspenders are best, while either suspenders or belts can be used with suits. Just make sure the pants have belt loops if you would like to include a belt!
Don’t forget the Shoes!
For the most cohesive, polished look, be sure all your guys are wearing matching shoes. It might be tempting to say each guy can wear their own dress shoes, but unless you have pre-approved their shoe choices, you never know what your groomsmen will show up wearing. One person’s definition of “dress shoes'' can be very different from the next, and we don’t want your guys looking sloppy. Including formal shoes with your tux or suit rental is the best way to make sure your guys’ looks are on point. The shoes should always coordinate with your pant color. If you’ve selected black pants, be sure to pick black shoes. For navy or gray tuxes and suits, it’s your personal preference whether to choose black or brown shoes for your guys. Be sure to coordinate the belt color with your shoes!
What Accessories Should be Added?
Once you have the main pieces of the tuxedo chosen, it’s time to accessorize! Men can add a bit of flare to their outfit by switching up the colors or patterns of their pocket squares, socks, suspenders, and more. There’s a great opportunity to add a bit of excitement to the look with items that are a bit hidden or don’t take away from the cohesiveness of the groom and his groomsmen. Consider choosing a fun tie clip, eye-catching studs, and matching cuff links for your guy’s tux (these make great gift ideas too!)
Step 3: Get Everyone Fitted and Measured
Making sure your guys have a tux that fits them well is key to getting your wedding party looking great! Even the best tux will look sloppy if it does not fit properly.
You should aim to order your tuxes 3-4 months prior to your big day. If your wedding is right around the corner, don’t worry! Tuxes can be ordered as little as 2-4 weeks before your wedding, but for stress-free planning, the sooner you order, the better!
Schedule your first tux appointment for just you and your fiancé a few months before your wedding. At this appointment, you can select the styles everyone in your wedding will be wearing.
Once you’ve selected your styles, your groomsmen and other attendants can come into Memories for a free measuring session to get all the necessary measurements and to try on fitting pieces to ensure a proper fitting tux. And don’t forget your fathers, grandfathers, ring bearer, etc.! All the important men in your wedding should be looking their best.
Do some of your groomsmen live out of town? No worries! We have an easy measurements form on our website that guys can take to any professional tux shop or tailor near them to get the required measurements.
Step 4: Final Fittings
Memories will normally have your tuxedos ready for final fittings 2-3 days before your wedding. If your wedding is on a weekday, tuxes are usually available 2 days before the wedding. If your wedding is on the weekend, your tuxes will usually be ready the Wednesday or Thursday before your big day.
It’s important to have your guys come in as soon as their tuxes arrive for their final fittings. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP OF THE TUX RENTAL PROCESS. Attending final fittings a couple days before your wedding will ensure that everything will fit correctly and will allow enough time to make changes and alterations as needed for the best fit possible. Because the final fitting process is so critical, if you are planning a destination or out of town wedding, it is often best to rent tuxes from a shop close to your wedding location or to get your tuxes early so they can be properly fitted before you travel out of town.
Step 5: Pick Up and Return Your Tux
Once your final fitting is complete, it’s time to take your tux home. Be sure everything is hanging properly in your garment bag to reduce the need for last minute pressing, and don’t forget your smaller pieces like pocket squares, socks, and cufflinks, as they are easy to misplace. As for returns, make sure the tuxes are returned the next business day after the wedding.
Most wedding parties designate either the best man, one of the groomsmen, or a family member to do the returns the day after the wedding. That way, they get done immediately, and you don't have to rely on each person making their own return. Choosing a responsible person to return the tuxes will also help avoid late fees and will allow you to rest and relax the day after your wedding.
Schedule your Memories tuxedo selection appointment today and let us help you figure out the best look for your wedding party! Appointments can be made at https://dresslikeyou.com/schedule-appointment/ and are currently available Tuesdays-Saturdays.
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